ELA Virtual Learning

7th Grade ELA

April 8th, 2020

7th ELA Lesson: April 8th, 2020

Objective/Learning Target: I can:

● Explain the main idea of a text and ● Explain the relationship between the main idea and

supporting evidence ● write responses using complete sentences with

standard spelling, punctuation, and grammar

7th ELA Lesson: April 8th, 2020

Essential Question:

How can I determine the main idea of something I read?

Warm Up:

Check out this news video that gives a quick overview of what started happening to the Brazilian rainforest a couple of months ago:

Video: Fires Rage Across the Amazon

On notebook paper, complete a quick write that addresses the following questions:1) What do you know about the term “deforestation?” 2) What is happening to the rainforest in Brazil? Why is it happening?3) What is your opinion about what is happening?

Write for 2-3 Minutes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeMkfTr2_FM

Learn:

● The main idea is the most important point or message of the article.

● The main idea does not include specific details.

● The main idea includes the who, what, when, and where with the most important point.

● Main idea is NOT a theme.

● Main idea is NOT a summary.

How do you determine the main idea when reading nonfiction?

-ideas that are repeated

-details from the article all connect back

to the main idea

-what do the details all have in common?

-mentioned in the title

-visual elements/text features can help the reader determine

main idea

Don’t read this article, just look at the features.

The title gives the author a clue about the main idea of the article.

Learn:

The subtitle expands on the title and gives more detail.

Don’t read this article, just look at the features.

Learn:

The article and ideas are separated into sections by the subheadings.

Don’t read this article, just look at the features.

Evaluate the Main Idea

Proficient- Includes only important information,

including who, what, when, where

Basic- Leaves out the important information,

OR includes details from the article

Below Basic- attempt with too much, or too

little information, or information that is not

important

Learn (continued):

● Use the RACE strategy to write your answer to the questions that follow.

Practice:

Read “Why the Amazon Matters” on the next slide. Then do the activities below on a piece of notebook paper.

1. Select the correct main idea of “Why the Amazon Matters”.a. Plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen back into

the air.b. The Amazon is home to diverse plants that are studied for their potential to yield

promising new medicines.c. Deforestation has called attention to the many ways the Amazon benefits life on

Earth.d. The Amazon is home to indigenous tribes whose culture and day to day life are

dependent on the rainforest.

2. Using RACE, explain why the answer you selected is correct.

3. Using RACE, select one of the incorrect answers and explain how you know it is incorrect.

Practice Answer Key:(Answers will Vary)

● Check your answers to make sure it meets the following criteria:→ Did you write in complete sentences?→ Did you use standard conventions (spelling, punctuation, grammar)?→ Did you answer the question?→ Did you support and explain your answer using details from the article

Sample Proficient Answers: 1. C2. The correct answer is choice “C” which talks about the benefits of the Amazon because it can

be found in the subtitle of the article (look at slide 6 for reference). The subtitle helps to give the reader a brief overview of the text before they start reading the passage further. The subheadings also back up the idea that the Amazon is beneficial by talking about the ecological effects occurring, the economic contribution, and how the Amazon positively affects climate change.

3. Answer choice “B” is not correct because it is a detail in the passage rather than a large idea in the text. In the passage there are three subheadings, one of which is “Economics.” Answer choice “B” can be found under this subheading, talking about one of the benefits of the rainforest. The economy, and the fact that plants can be used to create new medicines are just one of the three components that makes up the main idea.

If you want to learn more...Additional Resource:

● Amazon Deforestation Video-BBC News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlnoxgqEWo